Organizational Behavior, Version 1.1
Bauer & Erdogan
FWK Test Item File
Chapter 13
TRUE/FALSE
1. Power is the ability to get things done the way you want them to be done.
(True)
2. Power distribution is usually not visible in organizations.
(False)
3. Power has negative consequences but never has positive consequences.
(False)
4. One reason why power can be so easily abused is because individuals are quick to conform.
(True)
5. Conformity is people’s tendencies to behave consistently with social norms.
(True)
6. The Milgram, Asch, and Hawthorne studies illustrate how important it is to create checks and balances to help individuals resist the tendency to conform or abuse authority.
(False)
7. In the Milgram studies, participants were willing to administer harmful levels of voltage to learners when those learners provided incorrect answers.
(True)
8. The Asch experiments showed that a dissenting minority does not have much power.
(False)
9. Meta-analysis suggests that the level of conformity in the United States has been increasing since the 1950s.
(False)
10. The Zimbardo experiment was stopped early because all parties involved became too entrenched in their experimental roles.
(True)
11. The more that a party is dependent upon you, the less power you have.
(False)
12. The scarcer a resource is that you control, the more power you possess.
(True)
13. The more vital the resource you control, the greater the level of power you possess.
(True)
14. The more substitutes available for a resource, the higher the power level of the person possessing that resource.
(False)
15. The CEO of an organization has legitimate power because of his or her role.
(True)
16. Coercive power tends to accompany legitimate power in an organization.
(False)
17. Coercive power works through fear and forces people to do things they otherwise would not consider.
(True)
18. Michael is the individual in the firm who knows everything about computer issues. When anyone has a problem, they go to Michael. Michael has referent power.
(False)
19. Charisma is a type of referent power.
(True)
20. Influence is getting others to do what we want them to do.
(True)
21. The most commonly used influence technique is personal appeal.
(False)
22. Compliance is when the target of influence not only agrees to your request, but actively supports it.
(False)
23. Rational persuasion uses facts, data and logical arguments to influence a target person.
(True)
24. When college students are told by a speaker seeking their support, “You can make a difference. Do this for future generations,” that speaker is using inspirational appeals to convince students to join the cause.
(True)
25. Using any form of flattery in an appeal is an example of the exchange influence tactic.
(False)
26. Research shows that individuals who lived near stairwells in dorms were the most well liked people in those dorms because they were seen most often by everyone who was coming and going. This is an example of the personal appeal influence tactic.
(True)
27. Research shows that managers with high referent power tend to use pressure tactics much more frequently than those with low referent power.
(False)
28. Legitimating tactics are those whose appeal is based upon position power.
(True)
29. Referent power is more effective than formal power bases and is positively related to employees’ satisfaction with supervision.
(True)
30. The most effective approach to impression management on the job is to build credibility and maintain authenticity.
(True)
31. Impression management has been shown to be related to higher performance ratings by increasing liking and perceived similarity.
(True)
32. The tone of your voice, rate of speech, and how you deliver your message are relatively unimportant in the impression management area.
(False)
33. Impression management is particularly salient in job interviews and promotional contexts.
(True)
34. Upward influence includes appealing to a higher authority or citing a firm’s goals as a reason for others to follow your suggestion.
(True)
35. Managers report using personal appeals most frequently with other managers and rational persuasion most frequently with subordinates.
(False)
36. Effective politics is about winning at all costs.
(False)
37. Almost all managers surveyed suggest workplace politics exist in their organizations and that to be successful individuals must engage in politics.
(True)
38. If employees feel their organizations are too driven by politics, they are less committed to the organization and perform worse on the job.
(True)
39. Individuals high in internal locus of control engage in more political behavior.
(True)
40. When resources such as raises or promotions are limited, employees see the organization as more political.
(True)
41. When individuals feel role ambiguity in their jobs, they feel the organization is more political.
(True)
42. The more democratic the decision making is in a firm, the more the firm will be perceived as political.
(True)
43. Social network analysis can reveal who can be trusted in an organization, who is important to decision making and even who is innovative.
(True)
44. Boundary spanners are people who are linked to the greatest number of people in the organization.
(False)
45. Social network analysis indicating strong ties is demonstrating informational, not emotional support.
(False)
46. Peripheral specialists in a social network are those with special expertise who can be called upon for advice even though they work independently from the group.
(True)
47. Strong ties in a social network are especially useful for innovation.
(False)
48. Company presidents usually possess at least legitimate, coercive, and referent power.
(False)
49. High power distance countries are those where power is centralized in the hands of a few.
(True)
50. In low power distance countries, decisions are often made based upon loyalty rather than some formal review process.
(False)
MULTIPLE CHOICE
Opening Section: Focus on Power: The Case of Steve Jobs
|
51. Steve Jobs is one of the best-known CEOs in business. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT in describing the way that Steve Jobs runs Apple Inc.?
a. Jobs has an uncanny ability to persuade and influence people.
b. Jobs instills enthusiasm in his employees.
c. Jobs has a vision that he shares with his employees.
d. Jobs is always respectful of his employees.
(d) Difficult/Synthesis
52. Steve Jobs is best known for using what kind of power in running Apple Inc.?
a. coercive
b. referent
c. legitimate
d. all of the above
(d) Medium/Analysis
| Section I: The Basics of Power |
53. The ability to influence the behavior of others to get what you want is
a. charisma.
b. power.
c. conformity.
d. pressure.
(b) Easy/Knowledge
54. Which of the following statements regarding power distribution research is INCORRECT?
a. Power distribution is visible in organizations.
b. Individuals ranked themselves higher than their coworkers did.
c. In comparing rankings given to managers with regard to their influence, there was general agreement on the top five but no agreement on the bottom five.
d. Research indicates the ability to rank managers by influence is a consistent practice in various industries and firms.
(c) Difficult/Analysis
55. Which of the following statements regarding the positive and negative consequences of power is INCORRECT?
a. Individuals are often quick to question the actions of those in power.
b. Powerful CEOs can align an organization to achieve goals.
c. The adage, “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely” seems to have some merit.
d. Power can corrupt and lead to the destruction of companies.
(a) Difficult/Evaluation
56. People’s tendencies to behave consistently with social norms is
a. culture.
b. conformity.
c. power.
d. dependency.
(b) Easy/Knowledge
57. Which of the following statements regarding the Milgram experiment on conformity to authority is correct?
a. Participants believed they were engaged in an experiment on job design.
b. Over half of the participants refused to shock the learner at very high voltage levels regardless of the encouragement to do so provided by the experimenter.
c. Several learners were treated for depression at the conclusion of the study.
d. The researcher/experimenter’s role was very important in obtaining group compliance with the experiment procedures/guidelines.
(d) Difficult/Evaluation
58. Which of the following statements regarding the Asch studies is INCORRECT?
a. Most of the participants in the Asch groups were confederates.
b. A dissenting minority influenced the nature of response given by participants.
c. Conformity with an incorrect answer was attributed to the perception that some members of the group had more information regarding the correct choice.
d. A dissenting minority response caused the participants to give the correct answer only if that minority also gave the right answer.
(d) Difficult/Evaluation
59. Which of the following statements regarding the Zimbardo study is correct?
a. The experimental guards received training before they were told to keep order.
b. The guards became abusive and aggressive, but the prisoners exhibited little reaction.
c. Study participants refused to adapt to their roles.
d. The Zimbardo study was ended early due to the participant’s deep entrenchment of the roles.
(d) Difficult/Evaluation
60. The strategic contingencies model suggests
a. the more difficult it is find a substitute, the less power held by the person with the substitute.
b. the more unique your resource, the more power you will have.
c. the more vital the resources you control, the less power you hold.
d. the more dependent an individual is on another, the less power the one being depended on has in the situation.
(b) Difficult/Analysis
61. Mark is the only individual in his organization who speaks Spanish fluently. His firm just purchased a firm located in Mexico. Mark’s boss just told him how valuable he is to the firm. This scenario is an example of what factor in the strategic contingency model?
a. scarcity
b. dependent
c. independence
d. substitutability
(a) Medium/Application
62. The value of the resource is
a. its scarcity.
b. its substitutability.
c. its importance.
d. its dependency.
(c) Easy/Knowledge
63. The organizational behavior course has a project as a key requirement in the course. As part of the course’s evaluation, students must indicate which group member is the most valuable to the group. The designated individual will receive bonus points. Nick is the only one in his course project group who can create effective PowerPoint presentations. As the group’s presentation must feature a visual aid, Nick is very confident he will be chosen as the most valuable group member. Elizabeth just arrived at the group meeting with ideas for depicting colorful poster boards with the same information. The group was very enthusiastic about her novel ideas. This scenario demonstrates the impact ___________ has on the level of power one has.
a. importance
b. dependency
c. scarcity
d. substitutability
(d) Medium/Application
64. Which of the following is correct regarding aspects of the strategic contingency model?
a. If the resources you control are vital to the organization, you will be viewed as a threat to the others and will have less job security.
b. If there is a clear substitute that exists, the level of power held is greater.
c. The more difficult something is to obtain, the less value it tends to have.
d. The more dependent you are on another, the less power you have.
(d) Medium/Analysis.
Section II: The Power to Influence
|
65. A professor assigns grades due to _________ power.
a. coercive
b. referent
c. reward
d. legitimate
(d) Medium/Application
66. Managers at a pharmaceutical research and development firm have checkbooks that they carry around with them as they monitor their subordinates. If a manager notes outstanding behavior by a subordinate, they can write the high-level performer a check on the spot. This is an example of the manager’s ___________ power.
a. referent
b. reward
c. expert power
d. information
(b) Medium/Application
67. Whitt Company made a substantial monetary offer to Bob to leave his design job at Lincoln Industries and come to work at Whitt. The Whitt CEO, on hearing some complaints from members of the Whitt Board of Directors about the size of Bob’s pay package, responded, “Bob is one of the few people in the industry who really understands what the customer wants and can design it into the product.” Bob has ____________ power.
a. expert
b. legitimate
c. referent
d. legitimate
(a) Medium/Application
68. Professor Lamb is a fabulous speaker—funny, topical, and very knowledgeable about his subject. His classes are always filled as soon as they open for scheduling and the waiting list to get into them is long. Students never miss his class and they highly recommend him to their friends. Graduate students want to study with him to learn his techniques. Professor Lamb has ___________ power.
a. coercive
b. legitimate
c. referent
d. reward
(c) Medium/Application
69. Al Dunlap was recognized as a turnaround artist for firms experiencing financial and performance difficulties. When Dunlap arrived at a firm, downsizing usually followed. Dunlap received the nickname, “Chainsaw Al” due to his cost-cutting abilities. When Dunlap arrived at a firm he would recommend major restructuring and though they were not supportive of his tactics, his managers implemented his plan. Dunlap had ___________ power.
a. legitimate
b. likability
c. referent
d. informational
(a) Medium/Application
70. When negotiating a deal on the purchase of a new automobile, Bradley had manufacturing cost data from his neighbor who worked for the car manufacturer. Bradley got himself a good deal on his purchase due to his ___________ power in the negotiation.
a. referent
b. legitimate
c. information
d. coercive
(c) Medium/Application
71. Access to specific knowledge or skills is _______________ power.
a. expert
b. information
c. referent
d. reward
(b) Easy/Comprehension
72. The ability to grant an increase in pay, a perk, or an attractive job assignment is ___________ power.
a. referent
b. legitimate
c. expert
d. reward
(d) Easy/Comprehension
73. Coercive power
a. is the ability to take something away or punish someone for noncompliance.
b. is the ability to influence due to the possession of knowledge or skill.
c. stems from the personal characteristics of the person such as the degree to which we respect and want to be like them.
d. stems from one’s organizational role or position.
(a) Easy/Knowledge
74. Referent power
a. is the ability to take something away or punish someone for noncompliance.
b. is the ability to influence due to the possession of knowledge or skill.
c. stems from the personal characteristics of the person such as the degree to which we respect and want to be like them.
d. stems from one’s organizational role or position.
(c) Easy/Knowledge
75. Power that comes from one’s organizational role or position is
a. expert power.
b. referent power.
c. legitimate power.
d. information power.
(c) Easy/Comprehension
76. Power that comes from knowledge and skill is
a. expert power.
b. referent power.
c. legitimate power.
d. reward power.
(a) Easy/Comprehension
77. Attempting to get others to do what we want is
a. commitment.
b. power.
c. charisma.
d. influence.
(d) Easy/Knowledge
78. The ability to attract others, win their admiration, and hold them spellbound is
a. power.
b. influence.
c. charisma.
d. commitment.
(c) Easy/Knowledge
79. According to surveys, the most frequently used influence tactic is
a. personal appeals.
b. rational persuasion.
c. legitimating.
d. pressure.
(b) Easy/Comprehension
80. Mike was playing video games. His mother came downstairs and said, “Mike, your room is a mess. I want you to go upstairs right now and clean it up or you will not be able to go out on Saturday.” Mike wanted to finish his game but saved it instead and went to clean his room. Mike has responded to Mom’s influence attempt with
a. compliance.
b. resistance.
c. commitment.
d. exchange.
(a) Medium/Application
81. When a target agrees to a request and actively supports it, the target’s response is
a. resistance.
b. compliance.
c. commitment.
d. conformity.
(c) Easy/Comprehension
82. The college organization president spoke to her members noting that the organization needed monetary donations to reach their goals. She cited numerous reasons why the money was needed and encouraged all members to call alumni members of the group for such donations. She suggested that the group members remind the alumni of the organization’s importance and their ties to that group. John dislikes asking anyone for money and decided not to make the calls. John is responding to the president’s influence tactics with
a. resistance.
b. conformity.
c. compliance.
d. commitment.
(a) Medium/Application
83. When the influence target does not wish to comply with the request and either passively or actively repels the influence attempt, they are exhibiting
a. conformity.
b. compliance.
c. commitment.
d. resistance.
(d) Easy/Knowledge
84. The school district negotiator notes during contract negotiations with the teachers’ union that the district cannot afford a 3% wage increase. The district negotiator presents the current expenditure budget, the projected tax revenue and state contributions, and the currently increasing unemployment rate in the community’s tax base as evidence of the lack of extra money for the increases. The district negotiator is attempting to convince the teachers’ negotiator to pull back his demands using
a. inspirational appeals.
b. pressure.
c. rational persuasion.
d. personal appeals.
(c) Medium/Application
85. The Teach for America representative faced the group of college students and asked, “Do you want to make a difference in this world? Do you want to give back for all the good things you have had happen to you over your lifetime? Do you want to help a child have a chance, a chance like yours? Then, won’t you consider giving just nine months of your life to make a difference? Consider joining me and thousands of your peers in leading this country in a new direction by taking part in Teach for America.” The representative is using the _______________ influence tactic.
a. rational persuasion
b. personal appeal
c. inspirational appeal
d. pressure
(c) Difficult/Application
86. Giving students a free mug, t-shirt, or blanket just for getting their names on a mailing list at an organization is an example of the ____________ influence tactic. Research suggests individuals try to repay what has been given them.
a. ingratiation
b. exchange
c. pressure
d. personal appeal
(b) Medium/Analysis
87. Using different forms of making others feel good about themselves is the influence tactic of
a. exchange.
b. ingratiation.
c. pressure.
d. personal appeal.
(b) Easy/Comprehension
88. The use of client lists by advertisers and businesses to promote goods and service is an example of the _____________ influence tactic. And, it works!
a. pressure
b. personal appeal
c. exchange
d. coalition
(d) Medium/Comprehension
89. The influence tactic that works most effectively in organizations that value democratic decision making is
a. pressure.
b. coalition.
c. consultation.
d. ingratiation.
(c) Medium/Comprehension
90. A number of weight loss products advertised on television feature doctors who note the safety and effectiveness of the product. This approach to convincing viewers to purchase the product is an example of the _______________ influence tactic.
a. liking
b. personal appeal
c. pressure
d. legitimating
(d) Medium/Analysis
91. Getting a person to enter an employee assistance program for a substance abuse problem as a condition of keeping their job is an example of using the ____________ influence tactic.
a. legitimating
b. pressure
c. personal appeal
d. consultation
(b) Medium/Comprehension
92. Your roommate says to you, “I really need to make sure that I do not have any typos or misspelled words on my cover letter for my business communications class. Will you please read it for me?” This is an example of the
a. exchange influence tactic.
b. ingratiation influence tactic.
c. personal appeal influence tactic.
d. rational persuasion influence tactic.
(c) Medium/Application
93. _______________ power is more effective than formal power bases and is positively related to employee performance and organizational commitment.
a. Legitimate
b. Referent
c. Reward
d. Information
(b) Medium/Comprehension
94. Which of the following statements regarding impression management is INCORRECT?
a. Whether you are actively managing your image or not, people are forming impressions of you.
b. You can cause yourself psychological distress by contradicting your personal values in trying to be someone you are not.
c. At work, the most effective approach to impression management is to build credibility and be the person you want to be.
d. You can actively shape the way people perceive you.
(c) Medium/Synthesis
95. Which of the following is NOT an impression management category that an individual can use to accomplish the outcomes desired?
a. personality
b. verbal
c. nonverbal
d. behavior
(a) Easy/Comprehension
96. Your posture, hand gestures, and eye contact are all examples of what aspect of impression management?
a. behavior
b. verbal
c. nonverbal
d. personality
(c) Medium/Analysis
97. Which of the following is not an aspect of the verbal strategy of impression management?
a. tone of voice
b. rate of your speech
c. intent of your speech
d. what you choose to say
(c) Difficult/Comprehension
98. Research suggests all of the following are outcomes of impression management EXCEPT impression management
a. is related to higher performance ratings for the subordinate due to increased liking on the part of the manager.
b. occurs throughout the workplace.
c. influence is especially salient in interview and promotional contexts.
d. is less influential in unstructured interviews than structured interviews.
(d) Medium/Comprehension
99. The ability to influence those in positions lower than yours is
a. upward influence.
b. downward influence.
c. peer influence.
d. diagonal influence.
(b) Easy/Knowledge
100. Which of the following statements regarding upward influence is INCORRECT?
a. While helping higher-ups be more effective can help employees gain more power for themselves, there is no gain for those same employees from allowing those below to influence them.
b. Asian American and Caucasian American managers use different tactics in influencing their superiors than they utilize in influencing their subordinates.
c. As organization complexity grows, the need for upward influence increases.
d. Upward influence examples include forming an alliance or a perceived alliance with a higher up and appealing to a higher authority.
(a) Difficult/Synthesis
101. Downward influence is best achieved through
a. citing the firm’s goals.
b. forming alliances.
c. an inspiring vision.
d. forming support networks.
(c) Medium/Analysis
102. Research on the direction of influence and the effectiveness of various influence techniques indicates
a. rational persuasion is the most frequently used influence tactic across all functional groups.
b. subordinate use of assertiveness and rationality as influence tactics lead to negative outcomes.
c. extraverts are more likely to use inspirational appeal as an influence tactic.
d. the better the quality of relationship between the subordinate and supervisor, the more positively resistance to influence techniques are seen.
(b) Difficult/Synthesis
| Section III: Organizational Politics |
103. Political behaviors in organizations include all of the following EXCEPT
a. negotiating.
b. rational decision making.
c. alliance building.
d. resolving conflicting interests.
(b) Medium/Comprehension
104. All of the following statements regarding organizational politics are correct EXCEPT
a. organizational politics are informal, unofficial, and even behind-the-scene efforts to influence, increase power or achieve objectives.
b. politics arise in an organization as an attempt to influence the allocation of scarce resources.
c. effective politics is all about winning at all costs.
d. organizations are made up of different interests that must be aligned.
(c) Medium/Synthesis
105. Research on employee perception of organizational politics finds all of the following EXCEPT if employees think that their organization is overly driven by politics,
a. employees have lower job satisfaction, but are no less committed to the organization.
b. employees perform worse on their jobs.
c. employees have higher levels of job anxiety.
d. that perception can be reduced by an infusion of a high level of feedback by the leader.
(a) Difficult/Synthesis
106. All of the following are individual antecedents of political behavior EXCEPT
a. political skill.
b. role ambiguity.
c. expectations of success.
d. internal locus of control.
(b) Easy/Comprehension
107. All of the following are organizational antecedents of political behavior EXCEPT
a. expectations of success.
b. role ambiguity.
c. resource scarcity.
d. democratic decision making.
(a) Easy/Comprehension
108. Which of the following statements regarding antecedents of political behavior is INCORRECT?
a. Role ambiguity presents opportunities for employees to negotiate their duties.
b. Authoritarian decision making leads to more political behavior in the organization.
c. Individuals high in political skill are more effective at their jobs.
d. Individuals high in internal locus of control engage in more political behavior.
(b) Medium/Synthesis
| Section IV: Understanding Social Networks |
109. Informal social networks serve all of the following important functions EXCEPT
a. delivering private information.
b. providing support.
c. allowing individuals access to diverse skill sets.
d. helping create power.
(b) Medium/Comprehension
110. Social network analysis reveals all of the following EXCEPT who
a. is very knowledgeable in the group.
b. in the group can be trusted.
c. in the group is innovative.
d. in the group is important in decision making.
(a) Medium/Comprehension
111. Which of the following is NOT a key role in a social network?
a. central connectors
b. boundary spanners
c. external specialists
d. peripheral specialists
(c) Easy/Knowledge
112. People who connect one network to another within the company or even across organizations are
a. central connectors.
b. boundary spanners.
c. external specialists.
d. peripheral specialists.
(b) Easy/Comprehension
113. Allan does not work for Core Company, but the human resource director calls him whenever he wants some advice on labor unions. Allan is classified as a _________ __________ in a social network analysis.
a. central connector
b. boundary spanner
c. external specialist
d. peripheral specialist
(d) Medium/Analysis
114. ___________ __________ indicate emotional as well as informational support in a social network.
a. Strong ties
b. Weak ties
c. Social ties
d. Casual ties
(a) Easy/Comprehension
115. Brokering power in a social network means you
a. have a high level role in a social network.
b. can introduce people to each other.
c. have expert power in a social network.
d. have resources that others in a social network desire.
(b) Easy/Knowledge
116. Which of the following statements regarding the analysis of social networks is correct?
a. Weak ties are more difficult to maintain than strong ties.
b. Strong ties indicate emotional support but no informational support.
c. Strong ties are particularly useful for innovation.
d. Ties that are reciprocated are strong ties.
(d) Medium/Synthesis
Section V: The Role of Ethics and National Culture
|
117. In countries with high power distance
a. decisions are sometimes based on loyalty, not performance.
b. it is unclear who is in power.
c. people expect small differences in pay.
d. people perceive inequity to be inherently wrong.
(a) Medium/Analysis
118. Which of the following statements is correct about power distance?
a. Leaders in high power distance countries emphasize equality and opportunity for everyone.
b. In low power distance countries leaders are not to “stand out too much” from the rest of their firms.
c. Organizations in low power distance countries are more hierarchical in nature than in high power distance countries.
d. In high power distance countries formal review mechanisms are in place to give everyone a fair chance at pay raises.
(b) Medium/Analysis
119. Which of the following statements regarding the perceptions of power in countries is INCORRECT?
a. A country’s culture determines how people will attempt to influence each other.
b. In Mexico, which has a higher power distance dimension than in the United States, lower level managers were unable to make decisions on behalf of their bosses.
c. Rational persuasion is seen as more effective in the United States than in China.
d. Chinese managers rated influence tactics like coalitions lower than their American counterparts.
(d) Medium/Analysis
FILL IN THE BLANK
120. _______________ is the ability to influence the behavior of others to get what you want.
(Power)
121. People’s tendencies to behave consistently with social norms is __________.
(conformity)
122. The __________studies looked at conformity and authority by having participants shock learners when those learners provided an INCORRECT response.
(Milgram)
123. Individuals could be influenced to say that two lines were the same length when one was clearly shorter than the other due to conformity in the _________ studies.
(Asch)
124. The ___________ study was stopped early because participants and the experimenter became too entrenched in their roles of aggressive jail guard and helpless prisoner.
(Zimbardo)
125. When discussing dependency, the concept of ___________ means the uniqueness of a resource.
(scarcity)
126. To determine how dependent you are on someone you need to assess three key factors— ___________, ____________, and ____________.
(scarcity, importance, substitutability)
127. Power derived from one’s role in the organization is ______________ power.
(legitimate)
128. A manager possesses ___________ power because he can provide you an increase in pay or a promotion.
(reward)
129. Punishing someone for noncompliance, as a parent does to a child when the child does not clean her room, is an example of __________ power.
(coercive)
130. __________ power comes from knowledge and skills such as the long-time employee who knows everything about company history and procedures.
(Expert)
131. When negotiations are going on, the person computing the numbers to determine if a requested pay increase can be given possesses _________ power.
(information)
132. Oprah Winfrey has tremendous charisma and is adored by many fans. Oprah has ____________ power.
(referent)
133. When we try to get others to do what we want, we are using _________.
(influence)
134. The influence tactic used most frequently is __________ __________ in the United States.
(rational persuasion)
135. When an influence target does not wish to comply with the request and either passively or actively repels the influence attempt, the influence attempt response of ____________ is occurring.
(resistance)
136. The influence attempt response______________ occurs when the target not only agrees to the request but also actively supports it as well.
(commitment)
137. The influence tactic that uses facts, data and logical arguments is ___________ __________.
(rational persuasion)
138. The influence tactic that seeks to tap into your values, emotions and beliefs is ____________ _________.
(inspirational appeals)
139. The influence tactic that causes you to help another person because you like him or her and he or she asked for your help is _________ ___________.
(personal appeal)
140. _____________ is the influence tactic that uses flattery or other forms of making others feel good about themselves.
(Ingratiation)
141. The influence tactic where there is give and take such that if someone does something for you, you do something for them is called ___________.
(exchange)
142. Exerting undue influence on someone to do what you want or else something undesirable will occur is the __________ influence tactic.
(pressure)
143. When someone tries to influence you by saying, “by the power vested in me…,” he or she is using __________.
(legitimation)
144. __________ ____________ is actively shaping the way others perceive you such as being concerned about your nonverbal and verbal behaviors.
(Impression management)
145. The ability to influence your boss and others in positions above you is ________ ________.
(upward influence)
146. People’s ability to relate well to others, self-monitor, inspire confidence and trust, and alter their reactions depending upon the situation they are in is ______________ ___________.
(political skill)
147. The visual map of relationships between individuals is a ________ __________.
(social network)
148. One of the key roles in a social network is a _________ ________, or people who are linked to the greatest number of people.
(central connector)
149. A ______________ ___________ is a person who connects one network to another within the company or even across organizations.
(boundary spanner)
150. In a social network analysis, ________ ______ are characterized by less frequent interaction with less emotional attachment, which are easier to maintain and thus people have more of them.
(weak ties)
SHORT ANSWERS
151. What is conformity? Give an example of an instance where people conformed.
Conformity is people’s tendencies to behave consistently with social norms. An example is the Abu Ghraib prison scenario where guards tortured prisoners when they were ordered to do so.
152. What is the relationship between dependency and power?
Dependency is directly related to power. To ascertain how dependent you are on someone you need to assess:
Scarcity or the uniqueness of the resource. The more unique your resource and the more difficult to obtain, the higher the level of power you possess.
Importance or the value of the resource. The more important the resource, the more power you have.
Substitutability or the ability to find another option that works as well. The fewer options available, the more power possessed.
The interaction of the three factors determines the level of dependence and power.
153. Identify two bases of power.
There are six bases of power:
Legitimate power coming from the organizational role or position.
Reward power coming from the ability to grant a reward like an increase in pay.
Coercive power which is the ability to take something away or punish someone for noncompliance.
Expert power comes from knowledge and skill.
Information power is similar to expert power but information power centers on the access to specific information.
Referent power comes from the personal characteristics of the person. Referent power is also called charisma.
154. Name two of the most commonly used influence tactics.
The influence tactics are:
Rational persuasion using data, facts and logical arguments.
Inspirational appeals tapping into values, emotions and beliefs.
Consultation using an influence agent to ask others for help in directly influencing or planning to influence another person or group.
Ingratiation refers to different forms of making others feel good about themselves.
Personal appeal is helping another person because you like him or her and he or she asked for your help.
Exchange is give and take where if someone does something for you, you do something for him or her in return.
Coalition tactics refer to a group of individuals working together toward a common goal to influence others.
Pressure is exerting undue influence on someone to do what you want or else something undesirable will occur.
Legitimating tactics occur when the appeal is based on legitimate or position power such as “By the power vested in me….”.
155. What is impression management?
Impression management means actively shaping the way you are perceived by others. This is particularly important for those who are seeking their first jobs. In interviews you must be aware of the cues about yourself you are sending through verbal and nonverbal behaviors.
156. What are the directions that influence attempts can take?
Upward influence is the ability to influence those in positions higher than yours.
Downward influence is the ability to influence those in positions lower than yours.
Peer influence must be carried out in such a manner that it does not become destructively competitive.
157. What are some individual antecedents of political behavior?
Individual antecedents include: political skill, internal locus of control, investment in the organization, and expectations of success.
158. What are some organizational antecedents of political behavior?
Organizational antecedents include: scarcity of resources, role ambiguity, performance evaluations, promotions, and democratic decision making.
159. What is a key role in a social network?
There are three key roles in a social network. Central connectors are those linked to the greatest number of people. Boundary spanners are people who connect one network to another. Peripheral specialists have special expertise that can be drawn upon even if they work independently of the group.
ESSAY
160. Choose a leader from entertainment, business or government. Describe the kinds of power that leader possesses.
Answers will vary. Barack Obama has legitimate power as the President of the United States. He has coercive power as the Commander-in-Chief of the Military. He can appoint individuals to Cabinet positions, which gives him reward power. He has expert power given his years in government, and referent power based upon the size of his victory in the November, 2008 election. His regular briefings on national security and domestic economic issues give him information power.
161. Discuss the three sets of classic studies on conformity and what the implications of their findings are.
The Milgram studies involved an experimenter, study participants and learners who were actually confederates chosen by the experimenter. The experimenter directed the participants to ask questions of the learners and when the learners were INCORRECT in their answers, to deliver a shock to those learners. The participants delivered shocks for INCORRECT answers long after the “fake” shocks would have been in a damaging range and long after they heard “screams” of pain from the learners. The study showed that people conform to the direction given to them by someone in authority.
In the Asch studies, individual participants were paired with confederates and asked about the length of lines. The confederates were to influence the individuals to say that two lines were the same length when one was clearly shorter than others. Research participants went along with wrong answers about 37% of the time. When a confederate acted as a dissenting minority, and gave the correct answer, the INCORRECT response decreased by 75%. In short, the power of a small dissenting minority was demonstrated.
In the Zimbardo study, volunteers were placed in a prison simulation. The prisoners were picked up by real police officers and placed in the basement of a Stanford building. Guards were chosen from among the volunteers and were told to keep order without any training. It did not take long for the guards to become aggressive and abusive and the prisoners to become depressed and helpless. Because the participants were becoming so entrenched in their roles, the experiment was terminated early.
All three studies demonstrate how authority can produce conformity. Also, conformity is a tendency people gravitate toward, so checks and balances must be put into place to ensure abuse does not occur.
162. Present a scenario when someone attempted to influence you to do something. Indicate what influence tactics or tactics they used to get you to do what they wanted.
Answers will vary with the student. Among the influence tactics that can be presented are: rational persuasion, inspirational appeals, consultation, ingratiation, personal appeal, exchange, coalition tactics, pressure and legitimating tactics.
One scenario that occurs on college campuses is where students come to speak to juniors and seniors to encourage them to join “Teach for America.” The speakers are usually recent graduates of the particular college who are part of the program and are attempting to recruit their peers to join the program. They use influence tactics centered on inspirational appeals particularly with regard to how the soon-to-be graduates can make a difference in the world before they begin their corporate lives. The inspirational appeals are accompanied by visuals showing how one can aid America’s troubled youth.
163. Discuss Dale Carnegie’s recommendations for get others to like you. Do you find them viable?
Carnegie’s recommendations are:
Be genuinely interested in other people.
Smile.
Remember that a person’s name is the most important sound in any language.
Be a good listener.
Talk in terms of the other person’s interests.
Make the other person feel important.
The viability is an issue that is student specific. Generally, Carnegie’s work relies on referent power and the recognition that referent power grows if others like, respect and admire you.
164. How can you use impression management in an interviewing situation?
Some key aspects of impression management for the interviewing situation are the three main categories of:
Nonverbal: When someone looks at you what does your clothing have to say about you? Do you have body piercings? What will the interviewer, who likely will be of a different generation than you, think?
Verbal: Your tone, rate of speech and what you say and how you say it are important. About 35% of our comprehension of the verbal comes from these elements.
Behavior: Do you shake hands at the outset of the interview? Are you still when you sit in the interview or do you squirm? Do you make eye contact? Be aware of the impression you are making.
165. Choose a social network of which you are a part. How would you go about doing a social network analysis? What would you be looking for in the results of that analysis?
A social network analysis looks at the structure of social relationships in the group. You might look at who emails whom in a class group you have. Who calls whom? What do they talk about? How frequently do these actions occur? After the data is collected, you use software to determine the contacts and membership in the central connectors, boundary spanners and peripheral specialist categories. Further, you assess strong ties and weak ties. Both ties are important to understand where one might begin to lay the groundwork for a change in the group, for example.
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